Tulane Medical School: How to Get In

Mission Statement

“We improve human health and foster healthy communities through discovery and translation of the best science into clinical practice and education; to deliver the highest quality patient care and prepare the next generation of distinguished clinical and scientific leaders.”

Available Programs­

Besides their renowned MD program, Tulane University School of Medicine offers a number of alternative medical programs. The Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program hosted by Tulane medical school in conjunction with other departments allows student to gain multidisciplinary PhDs, MS degrees, and other graduate certificates in various biomedical subjects.

They also offer a few different dual degree programs that allow students to combine their MD education with another master’s degree. We’ve provided the details of these programs in the tabs below:

Interested in Tulane's MD-PhD Program? Check out these tips to help you get in!

Academic Curriculum

The MD curriculum at Tulane University School of Medicine focuses on providing students with the medical knowledge, clinical skills, and appropriate behaviors they need to know for any medical specialty. Their curriculum is both comprehensive and flexible, providing numerous opportunities to focus on community service, mentored research, and global experiences. They also provide dedicated time to focus on dual degrees, as applicable.

The Tulane medical school curriculum is divided into 2 phases. The first 2 years focus on grounding students in the basic scientific concepts related to medicine via lectures, small-group discussions, lab work, and clinical correlations. Additionally, they also provide early clinical training that begins in the first year. The specialty based clinical training modules, or clinical clerkships, start from May of the 2nd year and continue till the end of the 3rd year. The final phase of the curriculum allows students to complete elective rotations so they can prepare to choose their medical specialty. The curriculum also includes specific modules to help enhance skills related to emergency medicine, radiology and general medical cultural competency.

Tulane’s intensive, varied curriculum focuses on practice-based and systems-based learning, so students get sufficient hands-on experience and develop advanced clinical skills at an early stage. They also focus on improving the interpersonal and communication skills of their students, with patient-centric treatment and community service being a crucial aspect of their MD program. For instance, their Standardized Patient (SP) program allows students to apply their newly-learned medical skills, including medical knowledge as well as patient-care concepts, in an actual clinical environment. This allows students to gain early real world experience without the risk of treating an actual patient. They also require all students to complete at least 20 hours of service learning during the first 2 years of medical school.

One of the most unique aspects of their curriculum is the Interdisciplinary Seminar Series (IDS) that includes interactive learning sessions to encourage case-based, problem-based, or team-based learning via small group discussions, clinical scenarios, research presentations, and so on. 3rd and 4th year students are required to complete a minimum of 5 topics as part of this series.

Grading

Tulane employs a Pass/Fail grading system for the pre-clinical classes completed in the 1st and 2nd year of medical school. For the clinical clerkships completed in the 3rd and 4th year, they use an Honors/High Pass/Pass/Condition/Fail system.

Application Timeline

You use the AMCAS portal to apply for the MD program at the Tulane University School of Medicine. It’s important to know the exact dates of the medical school application timeline so that you don’t miss out on any key submissions.

The following diagram shows the key dates you should know for Tulane medical school. You can also check their admissions website or MSAR to confirm the exact application dates.

Tulane offers an Early Admissions Medical Program for their School of Medicine. They also use rolling admissions, sending out admission decisions between October 15 and Aug 1 for their regular applicants. Early Decision Program applicants will receive their admissions decision on Oct 1.

Check out this infographic:

Admissions Statistics and Eligibility

Eligibility

Tulane University School of Medicine accepts applications from all US citizens, US permanent residents, and DACA status applicants, as well as all international applicants. All applicants must have an undergrad degree at the time of matriculation. You are not eligible if the degree is from an unaccredited US or Canadian university. Tulane considers all international applicants, though AMCAS does not verify foreign degrees.

All applicants must have an MCAT score obtained no earlier than three years prior to matriculation.

Recommended Courses

Tulane medical school does not ask for any mandatory medical school prerequisite courses and they do not have any preference for specific undergrad majors. They do encourage all applicants to pursue a broad undergrad curriculum with a rigorous interdisciplinary focus in both science and humanities. They are looking for students who have a wealth of academic experience to prepare them for a medical career and who can prove their ability handle challenging coursework.

Their recommended courses include:

Additionally, students are encouraged to complete science courses with a laboratory component to add depth to their experience.

Tuition and Debt

Tulane is a private university and charges the same medical school tuition for all students, whether they are in-state, out-of-state, or international.

If you would like to learn more about the costs of attending Medical School, check out our video!

Funding Opportunities

Tulane offers a number of financing options to help students with the hefty medical school costs. They conduct financial aid information sessions during orientation week and also provide a financial aid officer for each student so they can discuss their options and identify the best funding opportunities. To apply for financial aid, you must complete the Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms and submit it to the Tulane financial aid office.

These are the different funding avenues available for students at Tulane University School of Medicine:

Institutional Aid

Tulane offers scholarships, tuition waivers, health insurance support, and non-service stipends for their medical school students. The amount of institutional aid you receive will impact the federal loan amount that you qualify for. Here are a few of the institutional aid options at Tulane:

• Service Scholarships: You can receive a tuition waiver and stipend in exchange for a specific service commitment. For instance, Tulane students who want to become military doctors can opt for the ROTC Scholarship program funded by the armed forces.
• Grants: Tulane offers a few need-based grants. To apply for these, students need to submit the full details of their economic history and family background. Only students who meet the economic requirements to qualify for need-based financial aid will receive these grants.
• Merit-Based Tulane Scholarships: Tulane offers merit-based scholarships for around 30 students every year, based on the students’ grades, history of community service, and leadership qualities. All admitted students are automatically considered for these scholarships and you do not need to apply separately for these awards.

Federal Loans

US citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply for federal loans to pay for medical school. These low-interest loans are distributed on the basis of financial need and other factors such as how much other funding you’re received from internal and external sources. You can apply for the following loans:

• Federal Stafford Loans
• Federal PLUS Loans

External Scholarships

There are plenty of external medical school scholarships you can apply to in order to augment the financial aid you receive from the school or via federal loans. External scholarships are typically funded by philanthropists, benevolent organizations, and medical institutions looking to benefit young medical students struggling with their medical school bills. The amount awarded can vary from full tuition scholarships to small awards to cover specific costs. Some awards and scholarships are entirely merit-based and hence may be more competitive, while others focus on helping students that belong to a specific community or group. You should research all the available scholarship options that you’re eligible for and apply to them so you can maximize your sources of funding. However, it’s important to note that any external scholarships you receive could impact the amount of federal or institutional aid you qualify for.

Private Loans

You can always opt for private loans from external organizations such as banks, corporations, and financial institutions to pay for medical school. Remember that private loans generally come with a higher interest rate as compared to federal loans.

Selection Factors

Tulane medical school receives thousands of applications per year and only 190 of these applicants actually matriculate. They employ a rigorous application review process to identify the students best suited for their program. You must show your superior academic ability, as well as a wealth of life experiences, to be considered for their program. Tulane is looking for applicants who can demonstrate their commitment to community service, leadership skills, maturity, and passion for medicine. They have one of the most diverse medical student bodies in the US, thanks to their fair and inclusive admissions policies and commitment to diversity and inclusion in medical education. They seek applicants with a diverse range of experiences and activities, who can prove that they have the academic capability, research experience, and life experience to handle the rigors of medical school.

Tulane University School of Medicine has also identified specific technical standards that all their students must comply with in order to successfully complete their medical training and become competent physicians. They employ these same standards to review applications and understand how well suited an applicant would be for medical school. These qualities include observation, communication, motor function, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities, and various ethical, legal, attitudinal, behavioral, interpersonal, and emotional attributes.

Here are the key medical school requirements to get into Tulane University School of Medicine:

GPA

Your academic record is a crucial selection factor for the Tulane admissions committee. Only applicants with a strong academic history are sent an interview invitation. As mentioned previously, Tulane medical school does not ask for mandatory coursework, but they do expect students to have completed a broad range of sufficiently high level science and humanities courses. It’s not enough to simply have a diverse and challenging undergrad course list; you must also show your academic prowess by maintaining a high GPA throughout your undergrad years. The average GPA for a matriculating student at Tulane medical school is 3.63. While this isn’t a strict cut-off, you’re less likely to get an interview invite with a below average GPA. However, along with the GPA, Tulane also considers the specific courses you’ve taken, including how challenging the coursework was, as well as the trend of improvement over time. If you’re wondering how to get into medical school with a low GPA, check out our blog.

MCAT

The average MCAT score for a matriculating student at Tulane medical school is 511. While they accept multiple MCAT scores, they will only consider the highest score. Your MCAT score must be achieved within 3 years of your matriculation date.

While the last date for you to complete your MCAT exam is January 15, you should ideally try and submit your MCAT score as early as possible, since Tulane medical school uses rolling admissions. Your application will not be reviewed until you submit all application components including the MCAT score and the earlier you complete your application, the more likely you are to get an interview invitation.

The MCAT score is an important selection factor as it indicates your academic capability and readiness for the challenging medical school curriculum at Tulane. It’s particularly important during the screening stage before interview invites are issued as students with an excellent MCAT score are more likely to be invited for an interview.

So, make sure you prepare well for the MCAT by creating an effective MCAT study schedule and giving yourself plenty of time to study for each MCAT section. You can also consider getting expert help for the more challenging aspects of MCAT exam prep. For example, if you’re struggling with how to improve your MCAT CARS score or need help with the MCAT Psychology section, you could benefit from a targeted MCAT prep course or one-on-one MCAT tutoring. Our blog about how to study for the MCAT has some great tips to help premed students tackle this tough exam.

Extracurriculars

Tulane medical school prioritizes applicants with a wide range of life experiences, including medical school extracurriculars that demonstrate their communication skills, leadership qualities, commitment to community engagement, passion for medicine, clinical skills, and research capabilities. As we mentioned earlier, they are looking to assess how well applicants meet their technical standards for competency. The extracurriculars you list in the AMCAS Work and Activities and AMCAS Most Meaningful Experiences sections of your application are a key factor to help them determine whether you have these essential qualities.

Letters of Recommendation

Tulane University School of Medicine asks students to submit only 3 letters of recommendation as part of their secondary application – no more, no less. They prefer a committee letter packet from the pre-health advisory committee at your undergrad institution. This packet should include 2 letters from science faculty professors or scientific professionals, and a third letter from your choice of referee, such as program directors, supervisors, academic mentors, etc. If your undergrad school does not have a pre-health or pre-medical advisory committee, you can send in 3 individual letters, following the same requirements. Note that committee letter packets that include more than 3 letters are also accepted but the composition of the letters should be as specified above. However, if you submit more than 3 individual letters, the additional letters may not be read at all, and the admissions committee will decide which ones to omit.

Non-traditional medical school applicants, including those who have been out of school for a while or have a non-science background, can submit letters from any three professionals who know them well and can comment on their suitability for medical school.

If you’re enrolled in a graduate program at the time of applying to medical school, you must submit one letter from your program director.

When it comes to medical school letters of recommendation, you should choose referees who know you well and can meaningfully comment on your academic ability, your commitment to service, or your passion for medicine. Make sure you approach them a few weeks in advance, so they have enough time to write your letter. Tip: when you approach your referees, provide them with a written list of your key achievements, projects, and activities so that they can write a more informed, detailed letter for you.

For a quick overview of how to choose your recommendation writers, take a look at this infographic:

Supplemental Application

Tulane medical school sends out their supplementary applications within a week of submitting the primary application. All applicants receive secondary applications. Your application review will only begin after receiving your secondary application, letters of recommendation, and MCAT score.

Their supplemental application includes multiple medical school secondary essays. You’ll have to submit 4 mandatory secondary essays responding to specific prompts, 3 with a 150 word limit and 1 with a 100 word limit. Additionally, you can submit 2 optional essays, 1 with a 60 word limit and another with no word limit. The prompts change from one year to the next, and you won’t have much time to write and submit the essays once you receive your secondary application. However, you can speed up the process by preparing for your medical school secondary essays in advance. Even if you’re not sure of the specific prompts, you can brainstorm general topics and complete some rough drafts for previous essay topics. Though the specific topics may change, they are generally similar enough that you can definitely reuse material that you prepared for older topics. However, make sure you tailor your Tulane medical school secondary essays to be as targeted and unique as possible. Admissions committees appreciate applicants who are passionate about their specific program and can clearly demonstrate their commitment to the schools’ values and mission.

Additionally, make sure you submit the optional essays as well as the mandatory ones. Though these are technically “optional”, they represent an excellent opportunity for you to make your application stand out and to communicate your best qualities to the admissions committee. Remember, they review thousands of applicants a year and you should not be missing out on any chance to get an edge in the competitive application process.

CASPer

All applicants to Tulane University School of Medicine are strongly encouraged to complete the CASPer test as part of their application process. This is an optional application component: your application will be reviewed even without a CASPer score, and students who don’t complete CASPer do receive interview invitations. However, a great CASPer score can definitely make your application stand out and might help the admissions committee decide between you and another applicant with a similar profile and achievements. You can choose to complete and submit your CASPer score even after your secondary application has been submitted.

CASPer test prep can be a bit tricky for many students. This is a situational judgement test that aims to evaluate your personal traits and behaviors against the desired characteristics of a medical professional. There are many different types of CASPer test questions and scenarios and the best way to prepare for them is to practice questions, conduct mock interviews, and get expert feedback to help you target your areas of weakness. Given enough time and adequate preparation, you can definitely cultivate and improve the skills required to ace the CASPer test.

Interview Formats

Tulane University School of Medicine sends out interview invitations in blocks from July to February, via email. You need to schedule and confirm your interview date online. Interviews take place between September and March. You can ask to reschedule the interview, if necessary, but there’s no guarantee your request will be granted as Tulane interviews over 500 applicants every year and there may not be a spot available during the peak interview season.

Interviews are conducted on weekdays only, and students can request for overnight accommodation arrangements for this period.

Interview day starts at 8 am and concludes at 2.30 pm, and consists of multiple sessions:

All your interviewers submit a report about the interview that is added to your applicant file and reviewed by the admissions committee.

Tulane offers the option of video interviews for students who need it.

Acceptance and Waitlist Information

At Tulane, students start receiving their admissions decision, including acceptance, rejection, or waitlist notices, on a rolling basis from October 15 onwards for the regular admissions cycle. Early Decision applicants receive all their decisions on October 1. The last date to receive an acceptance decision is Aug 1.

While they try to send out admissions decisions within 3 to 6 weeks of the interview, it could take longer if there’s a large volume of applicants.

Tulane medical school waitlists about 300 students every year, with approximately 40 of these students eventually getting accepted. Their waitlist is not ranked. Waitlisted students can receive their final admissions decision at any time after completing their interview. Most acceptances for waitlisted students are sent out only after March (once all interviews have been conducted), with peak waitlist acceptances sent out in May.

Contact Information

Tulane Admissions Website

Contact Email: [email protected]

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

Disclaimer: BeMo does not endorse or affiliate with any universities, colleges, or official test administrators. The content has been developed based on the most recent publicly available data pro-vided from the official university website. However, you should always check the statistics/requirements with the official school website for the most up to date information. You are responsible for your own results.

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